Is it Worth the Effort?

“Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. You guys are nuts. Why do you go through all that trouble?”

That’s the reaction my partner and I usually get from family members and friends when we tell them the great lengths we go to in order to bring wine back from our trips to prime wine destinations. We recently visited the Central Coast of California, home to some superb wine, especially from the boutique producers. So, as is our routine, we ship some of our clothes back to Pennsylvania so we can check a case or two of wine (in protective containers) as luggage. Why? Because you can’t ship the wine to PA (don’t even get me started on this law!).

So, are we nuts? Do my friends just not “get it” or what is really going on here?

It comes down to the following key question: Is doing “X” worth the trouble? Is the return on your investment of time, money, energy, and effort “worth it”?

This is the very question you need to ask yourself each and every day in your business. Depending on your circumstances, goals, and unique way of being authentically you, the answers you give may differ wildly from the business owner next to you.

That is OK. One person’s idea of a great time is another person’s purgatory. You get to choose what is right for you and your business.

For us, we have studied wine, developed our palette, and rejoice in being able to drink great wines that are simply unavailable to us where we live. I will be the first to tell you that it is a total pain in the rear to drag luggage plus two full cases of wine in and out of the rental car, through the airport and checked bag process, and then repeating the whole routine at our home destination. However, for me personally, the ROI is worth it: from the joy of tasting and purchasing through the bliss of indulging and pairing it with a meal back home.

You need to be looking at the choices you make in your business with the same lens. There is no magic pill for marketing, income streams, or service delivery.

Are you seeing the return you want to see from your efforts? If not, what are you going to do differently?

It’s not just about dollars and cents (of course you want to maximize that return as well). It’s about how you show up, nurture relationships, give back, and spend your extremely precious time and life energy. Are you having the experience you want to be having? Or are you a non-wine drinker schlepping 50 pounds of wine on a $5 luggage cart with one rogue wheel through a crowded airport?

So, it’s not about whether you or I are nuts or not. It’s about consciously choosing each and every day the actions that are worth the effort, assessing what worked (and what didn’t) and then factoring that in to the next plan of action.

How is this analogy helpful to you? I would love to hear from you in the comments below…

Meanwhile, if you could use some help assessing the effectiveness of your business operations and the ways you spend your time, let’s have a complimentary discovery call and talk about it! Click here to schedule…